Clutch.



7Ho- 882,9l1. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

T. B. RICE, JR.

N INTif,

f f f v 15 action adjustable.

UNITED STATES PATE-Nr OFFICE.

,THOMAS B. RICE; JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specnication ofLetters Patent.

Patented. March 24. 190B. v

Application nien september 25, 1905. serial No.=27s,911.

Toall whom it may concern: l 1' Be it known that I, THOMAS B. R1cE,.Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of I l. Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Clutch, of vwhichfthe following is a specication In a clutch mechanism it is quite desirable to have the one clutch member embraced betweenl apair of the opposite'ly movable mem- 4the clutching action or movement, when beclutched or released, -t further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully shown and described. The figure represents a longitudinal section through the center of a clutch-embodying my invention. 1 1 designates a shaft rotated ina'ny suitable manner and attached by a key 2 to theeollar f3 of one member of my clutch,which. is the longitudinally stationary member and which is su plied with an outwardly extending .annu ar'web 4, at the outer end of which is located a preferably cylindrical flange 5 eX- ten stantia y parallel with the shaft, and roviding a bearing face 6 for any .suitable elt when itis desired to apply the power atthis 40. point. The end portion 7 is internally screw threaded at 8. f.

9 designates the shaftto which it is intended t0 impart rotary motion, which shaft 9 terminates in a reduced extension or neck 10, adapted to fit within a recess 11 in the end of the shaft 1. The second member 1 2'of my clutch is splined at 13 to said shaft 9 so as to have movement thereon, and, has extending outwardly therefrom, 'an annular web 15 having oppositely extending flanges .-16 and 17 providing, on the inside thereof, seats 18 and 19 for annular bearing faces 20 and21,- which form oppositely facing friction `sur faces each shown as formed' of wood but ca pable of substitution by any suitable'friction material which wears more rapidly than the my -invention is to.

A further purpose of my invention is-'toY l2'() support and Vguide one oftwo-shafts during in both directions as shown, sub' 'the motion ofv member 1 2 in a lateral direction.

l material of which 'theclutch parts are formed,

and which can readily be replaced as seen.

The face 22 of the friction material 20 is adapted to make contact with the ad'oining 30 face -of the web 4,.and the face 23 of riction 4material 21, is adapted to make contact withthe adjoiningface of anannular band ring or disk 24, which constitutes a gripping meinber and which is movable longitudinally of 05 .the shaft 9 by means of-serews or studs 25.

These are adjustable therein, beingy threaded at 26 and being turned by means of a spanner wrench engaging the spanner holes 27. The heads 28 of' these screws are within the 70' range of movement of a cam 29 upon the links 39 which are supported at this point by pins 31, 'held by ears 30, as hereinafter described, to revolve with the end portion 7.

The links 39 are pivoted at 33 to-linksA 34, 75 which at their otherl ends are pivoted to the sleeve '35, said links being vsultably proportioned and positioned in such manner thatlongitudinal movement of said Vsleeve by movement of the collar 36 will cause the 80 cams 29- to bear upon screws 25, forcing' the ring 24 inwardly. The end of the pulley is partially closed by a ring 37 having a iiange 38 thereon, which ring is screw threaded into said flange 5 and which is provided with' 85 guiding apertures forv the screws 25, supports the ears 30 and at the same time` protects structure from mechanical interference and keeps it clean. It makes it possible to retain A'any desired lubricating or cooling 90 fluid within the clutch, whichmay be in serted through openings 39X and 40, channel 41 keeping these constantly in connection.

A ring 42 'is xed to shaft 9 in any suitable way and interposed between it and the l sleeve 35 is a spring 43 which provides for the recovery or release of the movable ring 24 to release the clutch. Upon the shaft 9 on opposite side of the sleeve 35 I place a' ring 44, which acts as a stop for the movement of said sleeve 35.

I provide an aperture 45 in communica-- tion with thespace or recess- 11 which is suitable for the, reception of lubricating fluid.

I lock the parts 7 'and 37 by interposing a screw 42 between the threads thereof at any suitable point. l

" A sleeve 46Ysecured to the shaft 9 limits 11.0 The operation 'is as follows i-The parts are normally in such positionthat the cama.

y jupon the Jlinks 39 do not engage-'With the screw heads. The screws are so adjustedas to secure the necessary extent of movement of the annular ring 24 and at the limit of the motion, to engage the web 15, with its two friction surfaces, with the web 4 withV suflicient rigidity to make them revolve in unison. By movement of the sleeve 35 toward the friction surfaces, the cams upon the links 39, force the screwsand therefore the annular band 24 inwardly, causing slight frictional engagement first and ultimate oomplete gripping contact. The shaft 9 is free to move ongitudinally to a slight extent and without necessarily moving the member 12 with it. The splim'ng insures that the member 12 rotate whenever the shaft rotates and at the same rate. The sleeve 46 limits this motion of member l2 longitudinally and prevents the shaft from being entirely removed from the member 12 by the'spline contacting with the sleeve 46.

During a large portion, if not all of the longitudinal movement ofthe shaft 9, the reduced end of this shaft is in engagement with the walls of the recess 11 of the shaft in alinement therewith, which guides `the clutch in its movement and adds to the rigidity of the friction joint formed by preventm side vibration thereof. norma ly be suflicient oil in this recess 11 to cushion the movement of thev shaft.- The movement of the sleeve 35 is considerably in excess of that of the shaft com ression s ring 43 and using this spring to rep ace the slbeve 35 after release of the clutch, the ultimate limit of movement of the sleeve 35 being set by the stop 44, the extent of There will y movement of 24 is not absolutely uniform.

The definite limit to such movement may be set as shown in the drawings, by the engage,

ment of the heads of the Iscrews with the adoining metal, but ordinarily these screw heads will not come into engagement with the metal. Because the ring 24 will recede from the joining frictionl parts ordinarily just suflicient to free from contact thereu with, theextent of movement of the ring isl s'eaeir/ l ordinarily'nearly the same, but the es-itions between which. movement takes p ace will -evidently vary with the amount of wea-r upon the wooden or4 other frictionf'surfaces,v and consequently the portions sf the cams engaging with the screws will vary, necessitating a slightly different 'degree of compression ofthe spring 43.

y,"Nhenever thewear uponthe friction surfaces requires, they screws may be loosened m the rmg- 24 tol extend the reach offthis ring, independent annular bearing faces ex tending entirely around the faces of said web on each side thereof, and means for actuating said frictional ring for causing the gtwo annular bearing faces to be engaged by -saidfstationarymember and said frictionalz"l lring l t 2;. In a frlctional clutch, a longitudinally `stationary member, a ring carried thereby,

screws freely passing through said ring, a frictlonal ring carried by said screws and ade Yjustable thereon, a longitudinally movable member, a web extending therefrom between-said stationary member and said frictional ring, op ositely extending flanUes 0n said web annuiar bearing faces on-eadh side of said web and seated against said flanges, and means for actuating said frictional ring for causing the two annular bearing faces to be engaged by said stationary member and said fric-tional ring.

' T. s. mon, JR..

T. L. Bam-uri. 

